Encountering the Living God

I called upon the Lord to lift me up,
For I had sinned against Him.
I called to the Lord to accept me
For I had grieved Him also.
I wept before the Lord again
And cried in anguish
for I was truly a sinful man.

Now I have the Strength of the Lord
And His Peace!
Now I have the loyalty of the Spirit
Within my soul!
Now I have the Trust in the Father
And am no longer afraid.
Thanks to the Eagle,
The Holy Spirit of the LORD!

Written and experienced Aug 13, 1981, by Paul R. Shiras at Sierra Christian Ashram. The day of my Reconciliation and Salvation. The beginning of my Sanctification and Spiritual journey with God and His Wonderful Word.
In His Everlasting Loving-kindness,
Paul Shiras

There are many who proclaim to love God and who are professing to be “born again Christians” who live in a double minded world. The author of Psalm 119 has come from Babylon only to find that the remnant who was left behind has adopted the religion and culture of the Assyrians and Persians and corrupted their faith in the God of their ancestors.

While claiming to be faithful to God, they have in fact, deserted Him and the Law of Moses. He has come to hate these people that want to corrupt his Faith and the Law among the returning exiles. The is choice is clear! The only avenue to follow is one that holds the evil in the land with great contempt (see Ezekiel 9:3-6) and to love the Law with a zealous heart. The writer is concerned that these people who have corrupted the word and joined with the “world view” will dilute and distort the faithful. Is that not also something that has happened in the churches today? Haven’t too many believers succumb to the teachings that divorce, abortion, sexual misconduct and homosexuality are not “sin”? All around us we see the Word of God weakened or outright attacked and the people who want to follow the Word of God and the teachings of Our Lord Jesus are mocked and persecuted.

But as for me and my family, we will stay in balance with God by obedience to the Heart of the Law, Jesus. As with the writer, I love the peace that God’s Law, his Word, gives me. My soul is secure not in the claiming to be a Christian but in the refuge and protection that living in obedience to His Loving Will offers me.

The psalmist tells the corrupt and deceivers, “Get out of my life!” Whenever we find those who condone, practice or promote sin in their lives and justify it by saying, “I am saved, God has forgiven me of what I am about to do,” we are to run to the nearest exit lest they corrupt us. Many times I have heard that contemptuous living is justified because, “Jesus forgave me and nothing I do is considered a sin.” That is not what Jesus said nor is it what Paul tried to convey to the early church. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you WILL obey my commandments.” In Matthew 7:21,23 Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord” will enter the Kingdom of heaven. … I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’” Then he continues with the illustration of the house built on rock (Faithfulness) and the house built on sand (foolishness). See Matthew 7:24-27).

David says in Psalm 139:17-18, “How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I could count them, they would be more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.” It is better to live one day with God than a thousand anywhere else. It is wiser, surer and more blessed to be living in the Word of God than to dwell in the failings of the world.

The Psalmist cries out, “Hold me up that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually!” (Psalm 119:117 ESV). While under the stress of the challenge of belief by those who would seek to justify falsehoods, he goes to the Creator to give him the strength and encouragement to withstand them. It is easy to say that it is alright to live a sinful life, Jesus has forgiven me, but the truth is that Jesus only forgives the contrite heart and those who seek to be true repentants thereby no long desiring to repeat the offenses against their Redeemer and purifier. “Uphold me according to Your promise that I may live [in grace]” is his desire. That is the dream of the faithful.

For it is by the Grace of the Father, given to us by the Divine Breath of the Holy Spirit as the result of the Sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. In this we are forgiven and in this we are live in obedience of the Law of Christ’s Perfect Sacrifice. While many will use Paul’s Letter to the Romans to say that we can not earn our right to salvation (and I have no argument with that), he also says in Romans 8:9,12, “You therefore, are not of the flesh but of the spirit, if in fact the spirit of God dwells in you. … so then brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh to live according to the flesh.” We are to die to sin and to reject all things that lead to sin.

The psalmist goes on to condemn those who reject the law of godliness and embrace the ways of the flesh, even to call them the scum of the earth! In verse 119 he claims that God has removed the wicked like dross, the film of waste that is left after refinement of metal. In verse 118, the claim that those who reject God are in turn rejected is made and we should take perfect note of that. When those who profess the faith yet reject all the teachings of moral behavior, who refuse to live within the Law of righteousness expect that God is so forgiving that he will allow them to be counted as the redeemed is ludicrous. Those who cry out “Lord, Lord,” and walked in the path of evil will not be counted as those who know the Lord Christ. As the New Living Translation says, “They are only fooling themselves.”

The choice is ours, to live in the loving care of Our Redeemer in obedience and service, or to live outside of His Grace by remaining in a sinful lifestyle. Will we love God’s testimonies by faithfulness to them or will we reject His love for us by disobedience? It is time, and long overdo, to stop the feel-good theology and return to the testament of godly obedience.

The final verse of this stanza, Psalm 119:120 reads, “My flesh trembles for fear of Thee, and I am afraid of Thy Judgments.” (RSV). The fear is the respect of God, the reverence of His Awesomeness. It is not a fear of a coward or of as from a bully, but the fear that we might cause sorrow to the greater among us. And God is among us, through the Holy Spirit. If a police officer was standing beside you would you break the law before his eyes? Yet we who claim Christ, daily choose to disregard His presence and continue to sin; deliberately and continually claiming that His forgiveness allows us to behave this way.

Christ came that we might be free from the sinful nature that rules the flesh. Seek to walk in the path of Jesus and flee from the desires of the flesh. Love the Testimonies of Faith, righteousness and clean living that we may not be as the dross, the scum on the melting pot of purification. Let us not be like the remnant left behind who added to their beliefs the ways of the pagans, the common law of self-indulgence, and remain faithful to the command of Jesus to obey the meaning of the whole of the Law. That is to Love God with our entire being and to love our fellow man as we love ourselves. Let us live in the loving-kindness to each other and the devotion to God as Christ has shown us.

Let our Faith be one-way, all the way and in the Way. Put out the double minded man and become single-minded for Christ’s holiness. Let us become Wholly devoted to God. Let us stand up to those who want to defile us with hypocrisy, decadence and the foolishness of sin.

It has been awhile since I wrote on Psalm 119 and that is in part because I had written on the first verse and at the time didn’t have anything else to say at that time (see: “Lamp Unto My Feet!”, posted Oct. 29 , 2009). The power of the first verse is so great that I had to wait upon the LORD to guide me into an understanding that went beyond the opening of this stanza. Even now, I wonder if it is the right message that I should give concerning the remaining verses of the text.

The writer of the Psalm is conveying that even as those who set snares and folly in his path to prevent him from walking safely in the Law, God’s Word is the Light that keeps him safe. It shows him the pitfalls of man and the entanglements of the world so that he might avoid them. He starts with the promise to stay firm in the Word and that he is grateful to have the instruction of Moses to keep his life in order. To him, the Law of God is wonderful! For many years I was taught that as Christians, we were no longer bound to the Law, yet as I matured in the understanding of the Ways of God, I found that I was compelled to regard them with fondness because they kept the Children of God safe.

When the Children of Israel, the remnant of Judea, returned from Babylon they had lost much of their culture, religious practice and their faith as well as their language. Nehemiah had to teach them the Law all over again. The Word of God had to be explained to them in Aramaic because they had forgotten their own language, Hebrew. This is something that I did not know until just a few weeks ago. With this in mind, we can see that Nehemiah was grateful that he had retained the language, customs and history of his people and of his God. The writer tells us that he and the people of Israel have suffered much. In fact they had lost their land and their nationality and had been scattered over the empire. The only thing they have left is their Faith and their God. And with that comes the Law, the Word of God for them.

The question for us is: Does the Law of Christ give us light as we are scattered among the secular ways of the world? Do we retain our love of God’s Ways for our lives? Or have we accepted a watered down version of the Truth that lets us stumble and trip into sin? What Nehemiah wanted for his people was the promise of God restored to them. He was grateful for the blessings that they had received, the freedom to return to Jerusalem and to restore the temple. Now he wants the Faith of the people to be restored as well. This song of love, to be sung in the restored temple, was to give the people the same desire to seek the commandments of God, the Law of God’s Love for mankind. Our lives hang in the balance of God’s mercy. The very Mercy given to us by the Sacrifice of Jesus is the restoration that the psalmist prayed for yet could not conceive.

As the “Oral Law” was the Light of God given to the people, Jesus is the “Living law” given to us. The Light of the Lamp is the promise of the Testament of the Jews and we are told that Jesus is the Lamp of the World. Because we have suffered much, living in the sinful nature, when we turn to Christ, we are shown the Light and our path of righteousness is bathed in the glow of His Light. Our lives are restored in the Promise. We are dead to the ways of the Oppressor, Satan, and made alive and fresh in Christ. In this we give thanks.

Because of Jesus giving us the opportunity to be reconciled with the Father, our lives hang in the balance of His Mercy and Grace. (See Psalm 119:109). If we accept the Way of Christ as our way of life and srtive to live in harmony with the teachings of God’s Word, the balance tips in our favor. If we live outside of the will of God, teh balance it tipped away from His Love. To live as we are taught by the Love of God for us, is to live in harmony with Him. This is shown to us by the Law of Love given to us through the blood of the Lamb of God. Even as teh world sets the traps and snares before us, to trip us up into committing offenses to God, observing the commandments of Christ, given to us with the law of the Covenant of Abraham and Moses. Jesus does not give us something new but gives understanding to the Law that we may serve and obey fully the will of God.

Hosea says for us to; “Bring your petitions, and return to the LORD. Say to Him, “Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us, so that we may offer You the sacrifice of praise.” (Hosea 14:12). In our trials and facing the temptations of the world, we plead to God to restore us to righteousness, to renew in us a clean Heart, a right spirit, that we may be worthy of giving praise to Our King. Through Jesus, we have the forgiveness that the psalmist asks for his people. Because of the Cross we are welcomed back into the family of God. Our lives hang in the balance of God’s Mercy and His Justice. We deserve nothing from God because we have done no good thing with our lives. Yet because of Jesus, the efforts in our lives are considered good. We are able to do good things according to the Spirit of God directing our thoughts. It is because of our Love for God that we are able to accomplish great things. And as the result of the Mercy given to us by Christ, we are never to stop obeying the “Living Law” and the “Light of the World,” Jesus. His commands are the commands of the One who Loves far more than we can.

The Words of Jesus and the lessons from the Law that cause us to live in righteousness are to be held close to our hearts and be the Breath of the Spirit of God be our breath. For like the psalmist, I also am “determined to keep Your principles, even forever, to the end.” One verse that I love and stands alone is; “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men , be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV). Because of the watchfulness of the Spirit of God within us, we are able to stand firm. We can act like true men of Redemption and weather the storms of evil that try and overtake us. We can determine to avoid the traps of men and to walk in right living according to the law that is given to us by the prophets and be the examples of Christ Jesus. And in all this we give thanks to God. We thank Him that we have the trials, the persecutions and the anxieties that confront us daily.

Let the decrees of God’s justice and His desire that we have the delight of His word in our hearts, guide us every day. As we grow in Faith and Love of Jesus, be determined to follow the path of Righteousness to the fullest. Desire only what is pleasing to the Father so that the Son of God may dwell in our every action and thought. Avoid the tricks of the Oppressor and the lies of the flesh that seek to destroy faith and love of God. Even forever to the very end of our days remain faithful and confident in His Word. When Paul wrote, “Don’t you realise how kind, tolerant and patient God is with you?….Can’t you see how kind He has been giving you time to turn from your sin?” (Romans 2:4) he is seeking of those false ideas, concepts and the folly that has led us into sin even as we profess our belief in Him. Gos has been merciful and by Grace has rescued us from our sins. For this reason, we should awaken to the Love of His law and the Love of Christ’s Way. We have what the Exiled Jews did not; the ability to understand the law as it was intended. The instrument of God’s Love to preserve us as His chosen children.

Each day I read of the persecutions of Christians around the world and I read the testimonies of those who have been imprisoned. They do not weep in fear but shout out in joy that they have Christ to live for and to die for. What little do we have to complain about in our sheltered lives, protected by laws and privilege? Nothing. Yet the Children of Israel, coming back to Jerusalem after years of exile, had much to fear. They were strangers in their own land, much as were the people who returned to Palestine after WWII. Today the Christians in Burma, North Korea, Egypt, Pakistan and many other nations face the same troubles as did the Israelites. Unwelcomed in their home lands. To them, the creed of Psalm 119:105-112 is a beacon of hope and of promise. Let it also be the beacon of Promise and of the reality of Salvation for you. Let God speak His Law unto your hearts that you will strive to serve and obey out of thanksgiving and love.

(Read: Ruth 1:)

When I first came to Christ, I prayed for instruction on exactly what it meant to live as a Christian and after many days it was revealed to me that the best example of what God wants of our lives is found in the character of Ruth.

But before we get into who Ruth is, I want to reflect on others in the story. In the time of Judges, when the story takes place, the Children of Israel had a hard time keeping the commands of God. As a result God disciplines them with a famine. They lived reckless lives and “did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” (Judges 17:6) During these times of trial and correction from God, many abandoned hope and fled Israel for foreign lands. One such man of the house of Judah, Elimelech, took his wife, two sons and himself and left the Promised Land of God and sought after the ways of man. He abandoned hope, the ways of God and His own people and fled into Moab.

Elimelech still represents the people who give up on God. Those who turn to their own understanding and flee from the Truth of the Word of God when times get tough. The children of the Promise who run from the teaching of the Bible and seek after the senseless ideologies of false teachers and who walk away from church to pursue their own solutions. Elimelech takes his family from the protection of the LORD and leaves the life of God’s choosing and he dies.

When we walk out on God and His promise the result will be the same. We are to remain in the body of belief and walk with Christ with Hope and Trust in His Way. Not only does Elimelech die, his sons also die leaving two young widows. They went against the Law of Moses and took women who were of pagan beliefs. Not only was Elimelech sinning against the God of Judea and Israel, but he had given his sons over to sin by having them marry foreigners in a strange land where the people worshiped false gods. They died having no sons of their own; that was the price of their sin.

What price are you willing to pay for your sins? Jesus died that we might have life and have it in His Abundance, yet we revoke His Love and reject His Mercy every time we walk away from His grace by willful disrespect of His Commandments. When we seek after the ways of the flesh, we are walking out on God. When we seek to justify the ways of man and support ideals that are contrary to the Word of God, we flee from His Promise. As we live in the flesh and join ourselves to the ways of the flesh, such as greed, divorce or infidelity, we worship foreign gods and forsake the God of our forefathers. And like Elimelech and his sons, we shall die.

We see by the very names of the two sons that they did not have the character of godliness. The two names, Mahlon and Kilion, mean the whiner (or crybaby) and sickly wimp (or gutless one). One son who is always complaining and not taking responsibility for his ways and one who is too weak to stand up to the wrongness of his ways. The strong people of character are first Naomi who was submissive to her husband but after the loss of her husband and her two useless sons, desired to return to the Land of her father and take her chances of having a restored life. The blessing we can see in her is that when we who are sinners repent and desire to seek after God, He welcomes us back home. We also see that Orpah, even though she desired to return to her own people, loved Naomi and cried when she made the choice not to come with her. Through the Word of God we hear Him cry out for the Children to return to Him. If they return they will be blessed. “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey His voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you….” (Deut 30:1-3).

So Ruth and Naomi decide to return to the land of Naomi’s heritage and put their trust in the Hand of the LORD. Naomi’s prayer in her heart might have been the psalm of Moses, “Return O LORD! How long? Have mercy on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” (Psalm 90:13-14). Ruth may have taken joy in the words that, “Because [she] holds fast to me in love, I will deliver [her]; I will protect [her] because [she] knows My Name. …I will be with [her] in trouble, I will rescue and honor [her]” (Psalm 91:14-15). Ruth puts her trust in the God unknown to her except by the love she has for Naomi. Her very words, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. I will go wherever you go and live wherever you live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” (Ruth 1:16). The two woman go back to the Promised land, one because she seeks after the favor of her people and the law of God, and the other because of a love so strong that she will forsake the gods of her own people to live under the protection of a God who loves His people.

Ruth wants to walk on the Highway of Holiness, to live with the promise and to be ransomed by the Lord and be redeemed (see Isaiah 35:6-10). Naomi returns to her LORD “with all [her] heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning; and rent [her] heart.” (Joel 2:12) with hope that she will, “Eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the Name of the LORD [her] God.” Joel 2:26). Ruth and Naomi trust in the knowledge that; “The LORD is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness [is] to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5). The Lesson is that even when things go very wrong in our lives, we can always return to God for the answers. He is the absolute solution to all our problems, if only we put complete trust in Him. Even if we have turned away from His statutes and have lived in “foreign lands” of sin, we only need to return to His love and His Promises and we will be rewarded. This is why Jesus brought the Gospel to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. We are the Ruths of the world, given the fulfillment of the Promise because we choose to believe in the One God who serves His people with absolute Love and is committed to redeem those who seek after Him.

(Read Ruth 2)

To see the Gospel of Jesus, we look to the connection of Ruth to Boaz. She is a Moabite, a widow and she dares to enter into the fields of the most prominent man of Bethlehem. I am reminded of the woman from Syrian Phoenicia who dared to ask for her daughter to be healed from demonic possession (see Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:25-30). What right does she have to enter into the field and gather up the remnants of grain? Although the law of Moses told Boaz that the poor and the widows were to be given the freedom to gather behind the harvesters, it did not readily apply to the people of Moab or other lands that surrounded Israel. Yet Ruth approached Naomi about entering the fields and Naomi encouraged her. When Paul started to preach the Gospel to the gentiles of the lands that surrounded Palestine, he offered to us the same rights that the Children of Israel were entitled to, freely, with the same grace offered by Boaz to Ruth.

This is why I look to Boaz as how to live in the consciousness of Christ. Look at how Boaz greets his workers. From the very beginning of Ruth 2, we see how God orchestrates the meeting of Ruth and Boaz. And when Boaz takes notice of her, he greets his men with the phrase, “The LORD be with you.” The response is, “The LORD bless you.” You can see that Boaz and his men are faithful to God. When we look back at how Elimelech was not faithful but left the land of his fathers and perished, and how Boaz stayed in the land and prospered, we can gather that those who remain faithful to the promises of God will be blessed. “The LORD will bless you,” is the proper thing to believe and to speak of in times of struggle.

When we see that Boaz tells his servants to leave extra grain behind and to not molest her, we can see the angels of God watching over us. As Christ sends His angels to guard over us and the Spirit of Grace to provide for us, we are akin to Ruth. God sees in us a beauty that we can not see in ourselves. While we were yet sinners, Christ saw in us a grace that entitled us to an extra portion. Boaz explains to Ruth his motives. It is because of the kindness Ruth has shown to Naomi and the fact that Ruth has given up her past and her own family to care for her mother-in-law, with the result of moving forward to a strange place with a God she has never known and customs different for her. He tells her, “May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge, reward you fully.” When we walked into the light of God’s Kingdom, the Grace of the Holy Spirit, and chose to live in Christ’s way, Jesus extended His Blessing onto us. And we who take refuge under his protection are rewarded fully in the power of Salvation and are Sanctified.

Not only is Ruth provided for but she has more than enough for Naomi as well. When we accept the free blessings of God for ourselves, we are granted grace sufficient to bless others as well. When we accept the grace of Salvation, we are to share the gift with others, especially those who are close to us. Ruth shows us how when we take a chance on God, He takes us under His protection. Ruth is hard working, loving and kind. She moves boldly into the fields and because of her actions, Boaz takes notice of her diligence and tells her to look unto his fields to provide for her and Naomi. In the same manner, we are only to look to the fields of Jesus our redeemer for the grace and goodness He provides. We are not to look to other faiths because they will not provide us with the nourishment for our souls. The Grace of God goes far beyond just giving us substance, it gives us a life in freedom from sin. Boaz invites her to share in the food that he has provided for his own people, providing Ruth with substance with freedom with safety. She is told to sit with the company of his servants and eat of the bread they dine on, to drink of the wine they sip. Christ offers us the communion of His Holy Body and the Blood of His Salvation. As we take of communion we are reminded of this and so then as Ruth takes of the communion of Boaz, we share in the blessings offered to her. We are invited to share in the communion of God, Ruth is invited to share in the communion of Boaz. And we, as Ruth relates, say, “We are not worthy to be comforted by His Kindness.”

Like Ruth, we are invited to rest in the fields of the LORD. We are blessed by His Everlasting Kindness and we can join in the feast of His Mercy. Jesus, like Boaz, offers to us the refuge of His protection against the attacks of evil (Satan). We who were complete strangers to God, are welcomed into His fold and can gather the grains of salvation in abundance. The Grace is more than we can consume, more than we can take in, and yet God freely gives what we are unworthy to have. Great is the Grace of God! Each day we should fall at the feet of Jesus and say to Him, “Why are You so kind to me?”

>(Read Ruth 3)

My perception of the relationship of Naomi and Ruth is much as the evangelist and the proselyte. One who has walked the path and one who seeks to follow in the footsteps in faith. To the Gentiles of the world, this message is of vital importance; we have access to God by the faith and instructions given by the faithful. This is why it is important that our preachers, teachers and missions be grounded in true Faith and hold dear to their hearts the ways of Christ and the Father by the Holy Spirit before they impart on us the lessons of Faith.

Naomi tells Ruth to put on her finest garments, one such as she would have worn on her wedding day. I only have to look to Matthew 22:1-14 to see the parallel between the invitation of Christ to the Wedding Feast of Salvation and the request of Naomi for Ruth to go to Boaz. Ruth is not asked to wear her normal “working clothes” but the best she has. She then is asked to summit herself as a slave to Boaz by lying at his feet just as we are asked to summit to Christ as servants of His Mercy. She knew that by going and sleeping at the feet of Boaz, she surrenders herself to him and is completely at his mercy. Just as we, when we are to lie at the feet of Jesus, surrender ourselves to His Grace.

The statement of Ruth, when questioned by Boaz, is our expression to God as we seek His protection. “Spread your wings over your servant, for You are [the] Redeemer.” (Ruth 3:9) Place yourselves in the shoes of the woman with the hemorrhages who sought only to touch the hem of Jesus, (Luke 8:41-48) and let the grace of Jesus, Your Redeemer, touch you. Another “unclean” woman was the harlot who washed the feet of Jesus with perfume and wiped them with her hair, a woman rejected by the priests of the temple. By what right do we, the unclean and the rejected of the world have to come and rest at the feet of the Most High God? We have the right of invitation. And we are to go boldly and ask for His Name’s sake. In the submission of Ruth to Boaz, he has the right to accept her or to reject her with disgrace.

The action of Boaz is the grace that comes only from God. He does not send her away but gives her the promise of the Redemption that is given only to the Israelites. To sweeten the offer, he gives to Ruth extra measures of barley so that she may not return to Naomi empty handed and to tell her that Boaz has found favor in her character. The very words of Boaz, “…as the LORD lives, I will redeem you,” (Ruth 3:13) is the Promise that God gave to the people of Israel in the wilderness. They are the words of Jesus to the gentiles and the fulfillment of the words of the prophets and David. The Father of Creation will redeem the people of the world by the Word of God through the Son of Man, Jesus.

Looking to Boaz as the Christ representative, we see that he is a man of integrity. His yes is yes and his no means no. He is respected and honored by his servants and his word is heard and obeyed. Boaz is sensitive to the needs of others and gracious beyond measure (six measures of grain is an undetermined amount). As an Elder in Bethlehem, he is respected and given honor by Israel. His acute sense of responsibility goes beyond the “faithful” but is extended to the “foreigners” such as Ruth just as Christ offers His Salvation to us, the foreigners to the “Law” of the Torah. While the Law was given to the Sons of Israel, the Word is fulfilled for all who seek to “lie at the feet of Jesus”.

As we are challenged with the choices of the world, we can seek redemption through the blessings and acceptance of Christ even to become His brides. We can come to Him in full submission, without fear, and place ourselves at His Ever-loving Kindness just as Ruth went to Boaz. We can rely on the Promise of Acceptance and be blessed with the Grace of Salvation and be given honor among the Family of God. You can go to God knowing that, “He will shield you with His wings, He will shelter you with His feathers. His Faithful promises are your armour and protection.” (Psalm 91:4).

I want you to take note of the fact that even after Boaz discovers Ruth, he does not send her away but tells her to stay the night. Ruth should have been fearful at this time because Boaz could have taken advantage of her. But her faith in the God of Naomi was great enough that she did not hesitate, but remained there still resting at his feet. There is no fear in trusting God, nor is there any reason to doubt in Jesus. God does not abuse the faithful. God gives to us a safe haven in which we may find sanctuary and perfect Peace. The Message of Christ is “come and abide with Me, and I will give you safe habitation”. That safe habitation is not of this world but of the Kingdom of God. This is the Message that is given to the people: By the bloodline of Ruth and Boaz, JesusChrist who is the Redeemer of all men, comes that they may seek Him out and be blessed in full measure beyond their dreams. As Boiaz was faithful to the Promise of God to Moses, we enter into the same faithfulness through Jesus, the fulfiller of all of God’s promises to men.

It was quite by accident (or was it?) that while at a bible study on Hebrews, these words where brought to my attention. It was the final verses of the Book of Malachi that we were to reflect on regarding the opening chapters of Hebrews, but as is always the case with me, I read the prior verses to take them in context to the lesson. All of the Law (the Book of Teaching = Deuteronomy) was to prepare the people for the coming of the redeemer. Moses warned them that they would walk away from the LORD their God time and time again. Yet God would remain faithful to them and show them mercy. These verses, the last chapter of Malachi not only tell of the day of the coming of Christ, they are also telling of the day of Judgement, the day that the LORD will come to destroy the evil in the land forever. In that context, this is the Apocrypha spoken of in Revelation of John.

I want to take Malachi 3:14-18; 4:1-4 and relate it to the sufferings of the Faithful and the promise of a day of wrath and reward as the prophet expressed them.

[The LORD said] “You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying His commands or by trying to show the LORD Almighty that we are sorry for our sins?’”(Malachi 3:14) It is easy to think these thoughts when we are trampled by the people of destruction. While Americans and those who live in the “Free World” seem to have it easy compared to those living in the Nations of Persecution, we see ourselves as taken advantage of by those who have power. While in other places of the world, tyrants, dictators and terrorist try to control the thoughts, will and lives of their subjects, we are more or less victims of the Banking Industry and the Mega-corporations who swallow up small businesses and then create empires “to big to fail.” Our victimization is monetary and because we serve a lesser god, manna, we are convinced that we are just as much victims as those who languish in prisons for the sake of the Gospel. Quite frankly, I think we are foolish and selfish for believing that but it is a fact that we suffer from an acute case of self-pity.

The question is valid though; why do obedient Christians have to suffer loss while the evil prosper? It does seem to be a reality that “Blessed are the arrogant, for those who do evil will get rich.” (Malachi 3:15) Not being the Lord of All, I can’t answer that except to say that God gave us Free Will and it is within our finite flesh to will to do evil. What gives us pleasure is always our first choice. Those who do not have the Love of God within their core, will do evil to others to gain pleasures for themselves. This applies to those who claim the Lord Jesus as their own yet are not true believers nor have a contrite heart as well as those who reject, fear or despise the teaching of God. David asks the question in Psalm 58:11, Mankind will say, “Surely there is reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.” Time and time again, we ask for justice on earth. Time again and again we plead our case before Him and we await vindication and reprieve from the evil in the land.

“…And the LORD listened to what they said.” Malachi 3:16b) Do not think for a minute that the Lord does not hear us or know our most private fears, pleas and frustrations. God listens to every thought, idea and complaint we have. Take comfort that He is in control and nothing escapes Him. Those who live in His righteousness have had their names recorded in the Scroll of Remembrance. This is the book of names that Ezekiel speaks of, the writing case (see Jer. 9:3-4), and the Book of Life (Rev 20:12; 21:27). Those who revere God in the fullest and who loved to dwell upon Him, their names are added to the book of Life. The LORD says that, “THEY shall be My People, … I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child.” (Malachi 3:17)Psalm 103:13 reminds us that; “The LORD is like a fther to His chirldren, tender and compassionate to those who fer Him.” David tells us in Psalm 56:8; “You have kept count of my tossing; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your Book?” Not only are our names in His Book, but also our complaints, griefs and torments. He knows our every tear and our every joy.

It may be frustrating to us who live in a mortal world, to have to wait for the Day of Judgement to see the punishment of the evil in the land, but we are assured that God, through Christ, will restore us to fullness and reward us with Eternal Life and serve us with honor in the heavens. In that day, we will, “Once more see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.” (Malachi 3:18). What will surprise us is how many of those who we respected on earth as “good and godly people” will not be numbered as righteous before God. I pray that I will be numbered with the righteous group, even though I still seem to find ways to offend God daily. (If you don’t believe it about me, just ask my wife and children. They will be blatantly honest about my failings.) But those who live in the loving service of the KING of kings, strive to do what is right with God in all things. David says, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Our God is a God of Salvation, and to God, the LORD, belongs deliverance from death.” (Psalm 68:19-20) We will be delivered for the clutches of evildoers by the Grace from above.

While we are to be diligent in the study of the Word to see the righteousness of others, we are to first work out what is unrighteous in ourselves. We are called to be holy and blameless before the King. He does not make us to continue to live in sin and unrighteousness, He cleanses us from sin to sin no more. Just as you don’t bath your children so that they can go play in the mud, Jesus did not shed His blood so we can go dirty ourselves in the pits of disobedience. In the Day of Judgement, we will see the unrighteousness and sin that we still cling to. We will see that we are truly undeserving of God’s Mercy. While we still live, we are to repent and commit to change that will cause us to adapt a life of holiness and purity of body and spirit so as to be a pleasing offering to the Most High.

“For behold the day is coming, the burning like a oven when all the arrogant and all the evildoers will be stubble (cut straw). The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of Hosts, so that it shall leave them neither root or branch.” (see Malachi 4:1) It will be on the day of Judgement that all will be made clear and those who revolt against God will be as ashes and have no life. The righteous will trample on them as dust under their feet. In the day of reckoning, The Faithful will stand with Christ as He witnesses the charges against the wicked. The sun of righteous, the Son of God, will rise up, and it will be a new dawn of the eternal day. (Malachi 4:2) There will be a new sun and a new earth and only the righteous shall live in it. And those who love God in the wholeness of spirit and life, will be as calves in the spring pastures. We shall leap out of the stalls of our grief and the pens of the unrighteous to tread on the wicked as if they are nothing but ash, and dance in the pastures of the Lamb of God.

And the people are told to remember the Book of Teaching that was given to them by Moses at Horeb before they entered the Promised Land. (Malachi 4:4) Moses told the Children of Israel to obey the law, statutes and just decrees given from God. While there are many who say that, through Christ we are no longer obligated to follow God’s Law to the Children of Israel, the essence of a solid Christian life is living in the content, purpose and love of God’s instructions to His people. If we are to be called a people of God, we are to obey Him. And as God never contradicts Himself in the Word, His Word is still true today as it was when it was first given. We can not pick and choose what we want to follow or accept as valid. The Whole of the Word is from God for His People. On the “Great and Awesome day of the LORD,… He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” (Malachi 4:6) We will be all in one accord with God. There will be no division, no distinction and no conflict with the people of God. There will be one Church, and He shall be Christ. And we will be the temple of the Living God. (see 2 Cor 6:16) No longer will there be grief nor tears, no longer will the wicked live.

While these words are very powerful and full of meaning, we need to reflect on the complete verse of James 5:13. Not only are we to pray for the suffering that we endure, we are to, “sing praise when we are cheerful.” I want to complete my study of James with all of the verses of James 5:13-20.

Many of us suffer in many ways and for many reasons. While we are each different our suffering is as individual as we are. To some, the suffering we go through may seem trivial and to others it may appear to be overwhelming. We need to be mindful that because we are created with equality that is of God, we still remain separate and unique personalities. Those of us who live in comfort can not comprehend the turmoil that a pastor in China or Africa must face daily. I am in constant prayer for those two Christian woman in Iran who are in the most vile prison in the country because they refuse to renounce Christ.

In my prayer time, I find it hard to pray cheerfully and with a glad heart for my own blessings because of the suffering Christians around the world. Yet I am reminded that I am to give joyful praise to God for my blessings. God wants to hear us tell Him of the goodness that He bestows upon us. Paul tells us of the Joy of Believing; “Whatever happens, dear friends, may the Lord give you joy. I never get tired of telling you this…” (Colossians 3:1) “Where is the joyful spirit we felt together then?” (Galatians 4:15) “Yes, you will bring us much joy as we stand together before Our Lord Jesus when He comes back again. You are our pride and joy.” (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). The writer of Hebrews tells us that; “[Jesus] was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His afterwards.” (Hebrews 12:2 NLT)

Maybe that is why we are to pray while suffering, because Christ knows the joy we will have before Him on the throne of righteousness. As I read of the missionaries and home church pastors who are harassed and falsely accused of crimes, I see the joy they have at the persecutions they face. They suffer for the Righteous Son, in that there is joy. So they are not fearful but cheerful. They sing praises to God in the Highest as prayer offerings of Joy.

“Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing with oil in the name of the Lord,” (James 5:14 NLT)

It seems strange but Jesus used the example of the Good Samaritan to show us how the elders should care for the sick of the body. So often we use the church as the refuge of last resort. I know that it is a habit of mine to confirm what is wrong with me before I ask for prayer. As I read this passage, I gather the impression that we are to call for the elders to come to us and not for us to go to them. I have been in churches that have altar calls and I approve of them but the sick, injured and physically weary should be confident enough to have the leaders, the spiritually strong and the prayer warriors come to them. My wife and I have made it clear to our friends that if they want prayer and anointing, call us and we will come to them.

The oil is the symbol of the power of God in prayer. It is the anointing of kings and the blessing on the people. I know of several people that seem to place a high priority on special oils from “holy” places or that have been blessed by “holy people. That is not important, oil that was used for medical purposes in the time of Christ was olive oil and it was believed to have healing properties. Today we know that olive oil as a salve is not all that good, and we use other lotions, creams and medical concoctions to heal wounds. The oil is just a symbol and nothing more. I like to use it because of the reference to God’s anointing of His people. It is the next verse that carries the vital conditions for healing.

“And their prayer offered in FAITH will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. …” (James 5:15 NLT)

When I read of the many times that Jesus healed the sick it is by the power of the Father. When Paul, Peter and others laid hands on the people, I see it was the Faith of the person who called for healing rather than the sick that allowed God to work. It is clear to me that it is my faith in the healing power given from God by the Holy Spirit that heals. I do not equate the faith of the sick person into the process. By my faith, healing can bring the sick to the presence of the True God. One of my favorite stories comes from India where a young Christian Pastor went into the hut of a Hindu witch who was paralysed and prayed over her and she got up and walked, praising Jesus who healed her.

So it is the prayer of the elder whose faith must be strong. Not only the faith that the power of God is theirs to heal, but that they live in Faith and the mission given to them by Grace is pure and with honor. It is the prayer of the one offering healing that must be true to the service of Christ. It is by Faith that healing is given so that the healed may have faith in the assurance of God. When believers pray for each other, Faith is abundant in both.

“…And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.” (James 5:15 NLT)

The blessing of forgiveness is a part of the healing. As God heals the body, so he also heals the spirit. When Jesus healed the paralysed boy who was let down through the roof, He said, “Your sins are forgiven” (see Mark 2:1-5). The young man was both healed in body, because he got up and walked, and he was cleansed of his sins. While the faith of others can heal the body, it can only be by the word of Jesus that sins are forgiven. When we pray for the healings of the sick and the lame, we are to pray for the forgiveness of sins.

It is my practice to pray that I be made clean from the filth of sins that I commit before I pray for others. While some do not believe that they have to even say they’re sorry after claiming Christ, the Scriptures tells us to repent all sins and to return to a faith-based life. Besides, it is pleasing to God that we admit our faults and strive to live in an ever changing life for His sake. But to the point, when we go into prayer for the needs, and for the forgiveness of sins in others, we are to be as holy and blameless as Christ. We are to take on the Nature of Christ, who became wholly man for our sake, not clinging to His divine Nature. As Jesus is the rescuer and the one who reconciles us to the Father, when we go into prayer for others, we are to take on the same nature of Jesus.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. … “ (James 5:16 ESV)

This is to the believers and elders of the Church: We are to always pray for the forgiveness of our sins. Because many do not wish to accept accountability for their offences to God after coming to Christ, they believe that they never have to say that they are sorry. That is a falsehood. We are to pray and repent for all our sins and pray that we have the courage, strength and fortitude not to sin again. But as Paul tells us we all fall short of the glory of God. True Faith causes us to see the many failures and sins we still commit while still being believers. We are to pray for each other, ourselves and for the leadership of the fellowship of Christ. In this way, when we pray for the healings of others, we are of a pure heart.

1 John 1:8-9 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (ESV). When we go into prayer for others, as elders, warriors or just as friends, we must be of pure intent and obedient to the commands of God, Our Father. If we do not acknowledge our sins and rebuke them before God, we deceive ourselves into thinking that it is justified to continue to sin. When we do that our prayers are ineffective and in vain. Without the repentant and contrite heart, God does not hear the prayer of the sinful man.

“…The earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results.” (James 5:16 NLT)

Martin Luther said, “To pray well is the better half of study.” And S.A. Kierkegaard wrote, “Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.” It is by prayer that we turn our ears, minds and hearts to God. And by prayer we listen to God. To study the word and the example of Christ, we learn to pray. We also learn what it is to be righteous before our Creator, God and Redeemer. If you find that your prayers may not be answered, if healing does not take place, it is not because of the weakness of the sick person but the weakness of your heart. So when you go into prayer, be restored to the wellness that Christ offered you in your hour of Salvation. Be the righteous person that Jesus called you to be. Live in the fullness of the Word and the wholeness of Christ. Then you will see the great wonders of prayer. Your expectations of healing will be real.

Always be careful not to let pride, vanity or love of power fill you as the workings are of the Spirit of God and not of man. In time of prayer, empty yourselves of all thoughts, preconceived notions and distractions. Focus only on the purpose of prayer, a communion with the Most High God. Never think that you are the healer, that honor only belongs to the giver, God. Remember that when the prophets of old prayed for miracles and signs, they fully trusted God to answer their prayers and were convicted by faith to know that what they prayed for would be accomplished. The next verses of James, tells of Elijah who “was a man with the nature like ours.” (see 1 Kings 17:1-7; 1 Kings 18:42-45). As elders and warriors for Christ, we are given the same authority as Elijah, having the nature of man yet the grace and authority of God to do wonders.

In this age of science and technology, we tend to forget that by prayer, we can accomplish what nature will not. And in this age of plenty (though many have nothing), we fail to rely on God to supply our needs. As a result we tend also to walk in unrighteousness and only go to God with our complaints and our sorrows. As we live in the world, and its temptations, we are to walk in righteousness. And when we pray it is to be earnest prayer, filled with love, compassion and faith.

“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wanderings will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:19-20 ESV)

It is clear here that James, the “brother of Jesus” believed that you could forsake your salvation and end up in spiritual death. It is to these people, the ones who walk away from salvation and return to the flesh that Jesus told His disciples as He breathed the Holy Spirit on them, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven…” (John 20:23 NLT). It is by that same grace and Spirit that we can in confidence, forgive sins. We ask in the authority of Christ and it is made so. This is not a priestly right but the gift of Christ to all who are empowered by the Holy Spirit. So this verse is twofold. One; believer can “wander” from redemption and they can be brought back by prayer and forgiveness. Two; If we fail to strive to restore the “backsliding believer” but allow him or her to continue living in sin, we deny them the eternal life that is theirs. James says they will die (eternally).

Paul and Peter often told the believers to repent, return to God and to strive towards perfection in Christ. Jesus told us in the Word that we were walk in righteousness, the prophets emphasized it to the Children of Israel. The whole of the letter of James is a call to service, obedience and merciful life in Christ for the sake of our souls. If we truly believe God’s Word we will live it daily, according to the way Jesus led us to live. The Teachings and example of Christ are to serve with compassion, speak in love and to be true to the promise we gave to God when we first believed. The Word of God, the Good News of Jesus is to be something we don’t just read about and say that’s right, it is something we do each and every day.

Because of that, when we pray, we do it with the grace, authority and power of the Holy Spirit. So pray in confidence and trust in the Father that He will confirm our prayers and answer them by healing and forgiveness.

You see, God’s Grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in his present world, while we are waiting in hope for the blessings which will come with the appearing of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus. (The Jerusalem Bible, Titus 2:11-13)

He sacrifices Himself for us in order to set us free from all wickedness and to purify a people so that it could be His very own and would have no ambition except to do good. (Titus 2:14)

The New Living Translation has broken these verses down into many sentences for easier reading but as Paul did not use punctuation, most likely it was to be read as one sentence. In order to grasp the full intent though, I will dissect it as does this translation.

“For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing Salvation to all people.” (NLT)

In both letters to Timothy, Paul has made this same statement, (1Tim 2:4; 2 Tim 1:10) if we are to believe that Christ’s Grace is for a select few and that many are rejected without a chance of justification then Paul is wrong. I DON’T THINK THAT IS SO! Jesus came that the whole world may know of His love and His commitment to redeem the Children of Adam. To reject someone as doomed to loss is to reject The Great Commission. We are all called to evangelize and to be missionaries to the world. Even if the world we live in is just our family and neighborhoods.

“And we are instructed to turn away from godless living and sinful pleasures.”

The ESV reads, “(Grace appeared) training us to renounce ungodly living and worldly passions.” Worldly passions are not just those things that are easily defined as “Sin”, but anything that distracts us from God and His Grace. I’m rereading Rick Joyner’s masterpiece, “The Final Quest” and am encouraged by the reminders of the workings of Faith and the constant distractions that the Adversary sets in our path to draw us away from the Perfection of Christ. As long as we continue to live lives that do not reflect Christ in all things, we are clinging to the lies of Satan. When we allow teachings that reflect the disharmony of the believers, we allow godlessness to rule instead of Christ.

“We should live in this evil world with self control…”

This perhaps is the hardest thing for Christians to follow. We tend to want to impose our understandings or those taught to us, on everybody else. We fail to turn to God and the Word to confirm or further instruct us before we confront others. While I “feel” that I have a good understanding of the Word, I still question my understandings and strive to grasp more each time I read the Word and I pray. Many times I had to revise my understandings. Self control means that we do not accept every new idea. Yet it does not mean we reject other understandings. We examine carefully what is conveyed and seek to gather the fullness of the meaning. If we cut other views off before understanding, we may miss the opportunity to correct with love misconceptions or myths that have permeated the churches over the years. Self-control means that we think before we speak and act.

“….right conduct, and devotion to God.”

“In this present age” we are to continue to live in right conduct, rejecting all things that are contrary to the will of God. We don’t have to go far to realize what is not right with God. A few years ago teens where wearing WWJD bracelets. If you thought about it and asked if what you were doing was something that Jesus would never do, then don’t you do it either. It is not enough to renounce sin, we are to devote ourselves to God. Every action, thought and emotion is to be directed toward God’s Grace. We are to live actively for the Gospel. Not only for our own sake but for the sake of all others in our lives, even those who are not believers. Titus 3:4 reads, “But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done in righteousness, but according to His own Mercy…” Yet also Titus was told to be an example by his good deeds so that others may know what is right living. Your “works are to be a refection of God’s Grace and not the ambition for His Mercy. While good deeds will not bring Salvation, these efforts done for God’s Glory and to Serve His Will, do reflect grace. They are a major part of the devotion of God that we are to sustain at all times. Prayer and Praise is not enough, Serving God and Living in Truth and Mercy is required.

“…While we look forward to that wonderful event when glory of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.”

While there are many who believe that we are fast approaching the “End Days” and many think that is is still far off, the fact is that the end days have been with us ever since the death and resurrection of Christ. Ever since Jesus defeated death and preached that He will come again, Satan has been in a constant battle with the faithful. And even as those who yearned for the return of the King in the first century, we still yearn for His coming again today. And it will be a wonderful event, terrifying and awesome as He wins the final battle.

Every day of our lives though, we still wage battles against the pleasures of the world and the Prince of Lies. We strive to kill sin in our lives, to walk justly in goodness and in mercy. We seek to share the peace of Christ as we still battle the wiles of the flesh and the corruptible minds of men. Yet we hold fast to the truth that Christ is our True God and Savior.

That is perhaps the real message of Paul; that Jesus is not only the Savior of the People of God, HE IS THEIR GOD! (2 Tim 2:6; 2 Peter 1:1) The key element in Titus is God is our Savior. Titus 1:4,..”Christ our Savior”. Titus 3:4“…God our Savior appeared…”4. Titus 3:5-6 “….the Holy Spirit whom He poured out on richly through our Savior , Jesus Christ.” This is why when we have absorbed this message of Paul to Titus, we stop and pray before going on to the next verse. The ESV concludes this verse as the closure of the sentence, not separating it from the prior words. But it should be consumed as a complete thought unto itself. Let every word of it sink deep into your heart and your mind. Let every inference of its words reveal to you the wholeness of the Mission of Jesus to the World, every Nation and every People, that they may see the fullness of God’s Love for His creation, man.

“Who gave HIMSELF for us to redeem us from all unlawlessness and to purify for HIMSELF a people for HIS OWN POSSESSION who are zealous for good works.” (ESV)

Not that long ago, I read “The Relationship Principles of Jesus” by Tom Holloway as a devotional. Through his understandings, I was able to grasp firmly the requirement to be in a purified life of Christ Relationship with everyone. It was an companion book to Rick Warren’s “Forty Days of Love.” As we look back at the previous verse, we see that Jesus is God, and therefore God Himself came to redeem us from our lawless ways and our desire to destroy ourselves. God Himself came and gave up everything that we might have the opportunity to live purified lives in this world so that we could join Him in the next and greater world. It was God’s desire for us to be His Possessions, (see Ephesians 1:1-13) It was for His pleasure that we no longer be cast out from the Garden but to live as a Holy and Blameless People for His sake. And because of this we are to be zealous to do good works. Not because of reward we might receive but because of the Grace we have already obtained, God’s redemption.

Thus this is the Good news, God came to us so tht we might be able to come before Him, blameless and Pure and eager to do His will among men.(Eph. 2:10, and 1 Peter 3:13) And as Paul instructs Titus to train leaders to reach out to a people known the Empire wide as liars and corruptible, to share the Good News of Redemption and Mercy, we are instructed to live and reach out in the same manner. We are the extensions of Christ, Living in a corrupted World with one purpose, to share the goodness of Christ. We pray today for the strength to do so, to guard against the corruption of the World so that we may Bring forth the Good News of God’s Plan of Salvation to the liars and cheats of the World. And that is the purpose of the Gospel of Jesus, to change a contentious people into a People of God. So as we are commanded to share “The Great Commission of Salvation,” we are also deemed righteous to do good works for His sake.

Today I see the same mindset in not only the very rich but also in those who struggle day to day to provide for their families. The forces that causes them to work hard to provide for their families causes them to forsake the needs of others. I hear their cries that others don’t deserve help because they didn’t earn it as much as others. It is an attitude that if you want it, go earn it yourselves, regardless if they are capable working, have an opportunity to work or the skills to provide for their needs. They reject the needs of the elderly, sick or weak because they are afraid that if they help, they will become just like them. So they hoard what little they have to prevent the “undeserving” from getting anything at all.

James 5:3 states, “Your gold and silver have corroded you and their corrosion will be evidence against you…” When the final judgement comes God will ask you if your desire of wealth, and the reluctance to give aid to others, was more important than your desire to please Your God. Are you so afraid that the health needs, the food on other tables, the education of those in the inner cities, the starving, persecuted in foreign lands would come out of your pocketbooks that you forsake the Gospel of the Sermon on the Mount? Here in America, the land of the free, we are leaning toward a land of the haves and the have-nots. What we create by our reluctance to share with one another, to fight for the issues that provide for all, to meet the needs of the many, is in fact partnering with the oppressors in the dehumanization of the poor, weak and those who have medical needs that they can not meet by their own means.

Moses told the people, “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him, the wages of the hired servant will not remain with you all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind. but you shall fear [revere] Your God.” (Lev 19:13-14 ESV). Yet while our nation debates on a National Heath Program, struggles to create jobs for the unemployed and provide programs for those struggling with mortgages that they were tricked into getting and they could not afford, many good Christians cry out they do not deserve our help. But let me ask you this; do any of us deserve to be rescued by Jesus from our sins? What makes us better than God? Who are we to decide who is worth saving and who is not? I have long held the notion that if those who loved the Lord Our God as we claim to do, the Government would not need to create programs for society, the Christians would naturally do it themselves. While we struggle to keep our heads above water, we hear those who have robbed us of our well being by shady deals, unscrupulous business practices and outrageous profit taking tell us the the government want to take from us what is ours. The facts are that they are the ones who are the robbers. They convinced us to buy what we did not need, to invest in their schemes and to trust their bad judgements. They try to convince us that by helping one another to survive, we are only hurting ourselves. They try to tell us that some people deserve not to have a living wage, to be denied medical aid, to earn a right to live in a safe place, to have equal and affordable education. And to make things worse, many come to us as leaders in our communities and our churches.

In Deut. 24:14 comes the commandment of the God of All; “You shall not oppress the hired servant who is poor and needy…” Jeremiah tells the rich and the powerful. “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper room on injustice.” (Jer. 22:13 ESV). The prophet Malachi tells them, “Then I will draw near to you a judgement, I will be a swift witness against… those who oppose the hired workers in his wages, the widow and the fatherless…” (Mal. 3:5). therefore when James says, “Behold the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you. And their cries have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.” (James 5:5 ESV).

It is no wonder then that those who have been denied, who are victims of other peoples greed and carelessness, who live without the benefit of health insurance, who are now jobless and have lost their homes in these days of crisis cry out as did David, “I call upon You, for You will answer me, O God; incline Your ear to me to hear my words.” (Psalm 17:6) “In my distress, I called upon the LORD. to My God; I cried for help.” (Psalm 18:6). The poor, the lame and the rejected cry our for justice while those who have all the benefits, the wealth and the power cry out, “Woe is me, I can not spare pennies of my millions to help you.” They do not care for the plight of the people, they seem to worship another God than we do.

Did not Isaiah warn the people of Judea, “Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.” (Isaiah 5:8 ESV). If ever there was an argument against mega-conglomerates, this is one. As the few amassed great wealth by cutting jobs, rejecting decent wages and joining together to create a false sense of security with “paper profits” , fewer and fewer people had real jobs and real pay. If James wrote to the churches today, his words would be even stronger at the mega-preachers who drive luxury cars, and live in mansions while thousands of people are out of work, with no food to feed their families, no homes. Do not think that you are “saved”, when we wish to reap desolation on those who have less by neglect. We are then no better than the Pharisee who thanked God he was not like the publican. (See Luke 18:9-14).

So when James says that the injustices of the rich and powerful against the workers cry out against them, they reach the ears of the LORD. And those who support the injustice because they fear that they shall “lose” riches on earth, they share in the injustice. I have heard prayers that the health plans of the government fail. I have heard people say that those who are in fear of losing their homes because banks talked them into loans they could not afford should not be helped. To them I say, Christ is not in your heart. James says, “You have condemned and murdered the righteous person.” (James 5:6). When our hearts are hardened to the point that we no longer want to help those who are in need, or who foolishly listened to the advise of greedy men, that our hearts no longer hear God’s Love of all men. As we fret over the cost of programs to help the needy, we lose sight that we are to love one another as equals in the eyes of the Lord.

Paul wrote to the citizens of Rome, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1 ESV). Jesus told the Pharisees, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your heart. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15 ESV). So these men who were the lovers of money, (Luke 16:14) are the same people who justify accumulation of wealth that serves no purpose but to deny others. The need of greater wealth is status and they become bored and feel useless without it. 2 Peter 2:19 speaks of the powerful and sinful as those who live in error, “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.” to the rich and the powerful who resist paying good wages, who fight against health programs and would rather lay off or fire a good worker to hire someone else for less, they have enslaved themselves to a false god. They have come to worship the need of money over the Grace of God. They have forsaken righteousness for greed, no matter how much they justify or candy coat their intentions. To them, their reward is in the wealth they acquire. because they have turned to worship manna, their only reward will here on earth. They will be rewarded by a swift and hash judgement in the final days. Their god, manna, money, will not save them. they may cry our, “Lord, LORD,” but he will not hear them, the god of wealth has no ears.

To which James says, “Be patient, therefore, brother,…” (James 5:7) The righteous will be served, the faithful to the Spirit of Christ will prevail and those who suffered on earth by the hand of the ungodly and the unrighteous will see heaven and be able to praise God eternally. what we must guard against is that we don’t lose sight of God in our struggles to survive day to day. We must focus on the riches of a godly life and not on the frivolous thing of the world. we must be satisfied with what we have and not desire to have more than we need if it means others do without because of it. We must strive to live within our means and use our excess to aid others. We are to protect ourselves form placing to much importance on worldly things and be satisfied by the pleasures of God rather than the desires of material things.

I ask myself today if I really need all the trappings of man that surround me and I find that I have way more than I actually need. I could do away with most of the things I have and still be comfortable enough. Even the house I live in is more than I wanted and I have lived in a smaller house most of my life quite well. For years I have tried to convince my family that I don’t need a second car, ( I don’t like driving anyway) but they have always found a need for it. God has always prevented me from selling it. God knew that I still needed to keep it so that my daughter can use it until she can affords one of her own. (She does not want to buy it, she hates it!) As I write this, I have been thinking of all the things I can do without. When the Mobile Park has its next yard sale, I want get rid of most of it and donate the money to missions. Convincing my wife will be a problem though, much of the stuff was bought with her own money and I have no right to ask her to sell or dispose of things that I have no control over. As I realized that I have not practiced as well as I should the lessons of God’s word regarding my own meager “wealth”, I see that I enjoy pleasures to much while members of my own family are struggling with their lives. So I intend to put into practice what I preach.